Gonna be posting here something sooner or later. Plus I just found out by accident that Sono's pink film Seigi no Tatsujin Nyotai Tsubo Saguri (性戯の達人 女体壺さぐり) (2000) will be released on R2J 2011/10/28 (http://forest.kinokuniya.co.jp/ItemIntro/674781)

Hoping for the rumored R1 Sono Box Set ("Before Suicide Club") to become reality some day. Most foreign people don't know that Sono is a fucking legend! They only know his post Suicide Club films, but many don't know he was magor underground figure and poet before that. Many don't know his films like The Room which played in Berlin and Rotterdam but couldn't be taken to Cannes because it had become too controversial. Many don't know he ran in the streets of Tokyo with 2000 Tokyo GaGaGa members in guerilla poetry revolution. Many don't know he directed gay porn. Many don't know he served under "God" in a religious cult. Many don't know Noriko's Dinner Table is one of the many movies based on Sono's own life...

"I'm a manga fan.' I don't think I've ever heard anyone make such a sweeping statement. There's so much variety in manga that you can't say you like them all. I think that applies to film as well. I'm in no way a film lover or a film fan. That's because I hate most films."
- http://ryuganji.blogspot.com/2010/12/so ... andom.html

The original R1 is non-anamorphic, but the re-issue (in the Danger After Dark Collection) is anamorphic. No word about the UK transfer yet. As far as I've understood the R4 is also non-anamorphic, as is the original R2J. There was a recent re-issue which is probably the same.

From left: original poster, R2J artwork, R4 artwork

What someone really should do is put some extras on the disc to help average viewers disarm the film. It's a very challenging film and franky an average viewer, even with some knowledge of Japan and Japanese cinema, stands no chance to understand half of the film. It's enjoyable enough even then, though, and that's why it's so popular. But I too, have to admit it took me years before I could understand half of the film.

Oh and about Sono's early films... five of them are available on R2J. The DVDs are Bicycle Sighs (1990), The Room (1993), Keiko desu kedo (1997), and Utsushimi (2000). In addition, I am Sion Sono (1983 / 1985) is featured as an extra on the Keiko desu kedo DVD. All without subs except for The Room, which is a theatrical print with burnt in English subs. All of the DVDs are out of print and very expensive, going for around 10 000 yen. Bicycle Sighs is the most valuable one, sometimes going for nearly 20 000 yen (had to settle for a rental copy myself, as I couldn't afford a retail version).

Now, there has been talk about R1 releases. About 1½ years ago Sono confirmed there would be a R1 box set of his early films coming, but there have been no news since. It's possible the release has been cancelled, but it could be very well that it's only delayed as Love Exposure hasn't been released in the States either. If the company is the same (it wasn't mentioned), then this would sound logical.

"A DVD boxset called Before Suicide Club including all my early films will be released very soon in USA. So you'll find films like I Am Sono Sion, Bicycle Sighs or The Room. All my early films. All these films are already available in Japan."
- http://tomblands-fr.blogspot.com/2010/0 ... -sion.html

Despite these details I'm hoping the set, if ever released, would include more films than is available on R2J. Sono directed several short and feature length movies, such as the PIA awarded Otoko no hanamichi, and the gay/pink/serial killer Dankon - The Man, that have never been released on DVD even in Japan (Dankon is available on VoD from DMM and a few other domestic-only sources, though).

Did any of you get to see Gulty of Romance? It starts former gravure idol Megumi Kagurazaka. It's actually a really good film, although I prefered Cold Fish overall, this film stills has the Sion Sono touch to it. His use of colours is fantastic!
I've written a review for the film for Diverse Japan which you can read here. http://diversejapan.wordpress.com/2011/ ... sion-sono/

"Japanese indies Pictures Dept ピクチャーズデプト and Dongyu Club & Inc 鈍牛倶楽部 have picked up all rights to the early works of Japanese director SONO Sion 園子温.

The new package, Sion Sono Early Works: Before Suicide includes works by the poet-turned-filmmaker from his 30 minute debut I am Sono Shion!! 俺は園子温だ！！ (1984), to cult movie Suicide Club 自殺サークル (2001). It also includes his poetic first feature Bicycle Sighs 自転車吐息 (1990).

Pictures Dept envisages the features and shorts collection as a major DVD package and a possible event programming section for film festivals."

edit: sales info for companies (and good reference what we can expect from dvd set(s) once released

"World acclaimed award winning director SION SONO's early works, the package of films before SUICIDE CLUB(’02) are now available as SION SONO Early Works: BEFORE SUISIDE package.
All rights are available for world-wide. Best DVD/VOD package of one of the top Japanese directors.

Best news of the year, even if it means my old discs, which cost me a fortune, are gonna lose their value now. But there's plenty of films I didn't even dream of ever seeing...

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edit 2: I think J-film (and I) got excited a bit too early here... pictures department is no dvd distributor, and I don't think any Japanese distribution has been set yet... but I'm sure someone will pick em up... and a US set has been in the works for a long time...

twitter / matteoboscarol wrote:
Sono Sion will start filming his new movie from January 22th. Plot for the new Sono Sion's movie (forgive my English): "Ono Yoichi lives with his wife Izumi, his father Yasuhiko and his mother Chieko in a small countryside's village. Immersed in a peaceful and beautiful scenery his daily life as a farmer goes on happily. One day an earthquake hits the area and everyone is forced to evacuate, but Yoichi but Yoichi and his family cannot leave so easily the beloved birthplace. Caught in the vortex of events they also learn about they also learn about the pregnancy of Izumi. For protecting their child Izumi and Yoichi decide to take action...."

No, I don't know anything about the UK one. I have the US remaster... from the Danger After Dark Collection. It's quite good actually. The dvd has a rough look, but (intentional or not) it serves the film very well... it's one of those films that would probably look less beatiful on "better" transfer...

Note that the old R1, and apparently the first press of the box set (due to a mistake) were non-anamorphic. The Japanese dvds appear non-anamorphic, too.

'Land of Hope' looks really, really interesting. Damn, I wonder how long it'll take for Japan to recover, if ever. Fukushima is still a disaster, and turning of all nuclear reactors and switch to importing fossil fuel, is not exactly a longterm solution. I am concerned about that, for the future of Japan.

It seems to me that Sono's features have gotten a bit rawer in their hardhitting nature. What I mean is, 'Love Exposure' seemed like the peak in Sono's stylised style, the way that movie, on purpose, openly drew upon various genres and cinematic conventions. 'Cold Fish', I think was - even though it had its stylised moments - a bit more rawer and realistic. I think even the funny final 15 minutes of the movie had this dark, absurd quality to it; it just seemed like a plausible scenario. Crazy world we live in, you know.

I am really looking forward to seeing 'Himizu'. From the trailer, that movie also looks less cinematically stylised, and more rawer, hardhitting dramatic, you know.

Oh, and I love all Sono's early flicks. I'm not trying to cryptically forward negative opinions about 'Love Exposure'; I was just talking about Sono's style in putting movies together.